I have to confess that I added three
verses in to this Gospel reading for today. Typically, we would only be reading
verses 34-45. I added the first three (32-34) for a very important reason. If
we don’t hear those first three verses, then we cannot get to the cross.
Meaning, these first three verses place Jesus and his disciples in a very
important location on their journey.
They are on the road to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is South of where most of Jesus ministry takes place. Jerusalem is
the place of the temple. It is the place where the pilgrimage is made to the
temple to worship God; AND it is the place where Jesus will be arrested. And on
this road, Jesus tells them the story that we and they have heard before. “The
Son of man will be handed over…” We have heard the story before. He told the
disciples this two other times.
But there is something more to this
story than the other two. Jesus is a little more graphic when he proclaims his
impending death and resurrection. Jesus says, He will be condemned to death, he
will be mocked, spit upon, flogged, killed, and then be raised,” on the third
day. It is more graphic then the other times. It raises the question as to why
this is so important that Jesus needs to be so graphic.
There is a good reason for Jesus
being so graphic. After telling the disciples the first time Mark 8:31), Peter
tries to rebuke Jesus…doesn’t want to hear it. The second time he tells the
story (Mark 9:31), the disciples are arguing about who is the greater disciple.
So now we are at the third time. I could imagine Jesus is a little exhausted of
them not getting it, but his third telling is telling the disciples and us just
how big a deal, how important this really is. Jesus is saying that this is not
something to just glance over, but he is telling us all to “take it seriously!”
It is often said among teachers that
in order for a student to comprehend something, they have to be told several
times…the same message several times; in the hopes that it finally sinks in and
the student is able to grasp the information. We know here that it does not
necessarily work. We know that because, now, James and John want seats of
privilege. They want to sit by Jesus side, “one on the left and one on the
right.” It seems like these disciples just don’t get it!
There is a reason that they don’t
get it. They are products of their world and their culture. Let’s look at what
it is like in their time. First, they are occupied by the Romans. The Jewish
people are not a free people. In fact,,, they are located in the geographic
center of the known world. They are, literally, in between two massive empires.
They are always being conquered by a group from the North then a group from the
south. This particular time it is the Romans. They are not free to live by
their own rules.
They are under the thumb of the
Romans who wield the power. Power…an interesting word. Last week, I spoke that
having stuff meant power, wealth meant voice, and these things were not used
for the good of all people. Power was used over people. It was used to oppress
people. It was a way for some to get what they wanted while others suffered.
Wealth, voice and power were strength. If you did not have any of those, you
were nobody; you weren’t worthy of the time of day; let alone being treated
fairly.
So the disciples and the people of
that culture may not have expected Jesus to say what he said. With the
understanding of how power worked and how it was used, it would take a mighty
powerful person, a king…a Messiah to come in with all the power and force
needed to overcome this occupier. They would be right in visioning a “Lord” who
would use opposite and overwhelming power to come in and just obliterate the
Romans. It would seem to make sense!
This Messiah Jesus does not fit any
of that vision. Jesus tells them that he…the Son of Man, will undergo this
degrading death. Jesus will not bring an army, but will be handed over. Jesus
will undergo mocking (who does that to a King?). He will undergo flogging (that
is not fitting for a King), and be beaten, spit on, and killed. Jesus will
become a victim of this oppression, power lorded over and be killed. What is
the point to all of this?
Jesus is telling the disciples that
the culture that they are used to is not God’s culture. He is teaching them
that the power does not rely on how much one can be oppressed. Power is not
about who has more wealth or stuff than the other person. It is not about how
small we can make people feel because they don’t fit the standards of the
culture; Jesus is teaching us all that the worldly culture is not God’s
culture.
Through his teaching, Jesus shows us
that God’s culture is caring about our fellow brothers and sisters. It is not
about who gets to sit where so that they can wield power; but it is in the
service to others where God and God’s culture is truly experienced. When the
Israelites were freed from captivity, God did not send an army to obliterate
Pharoah’s people. God did put up barriers so that the Israelites could get away
free from that bondage of captivity. In times when it looked like they would be
consumed by war, God served God’s chosen people by protecting them.
Jesus, God’s son continues God’s
culture of serving. HE does this through teaching about God’s love, he shares
meals with people who are considered unclean and outcasts. He heals the sick,
raises the dead showing God’s compassion to all of God’s children and creation.
Jesus shows that this life of service in God’s name, does not allow the power
that they “think” they want; because service to God’s children and God’s
creation goes against the very foundations of the earthly kingdoms.
SO, what is the point to all of
this? First, it is to show that God calls us all in service to one another.
Serving in God’s name is not easy because it means that all who serve in God’s
name will go against what the world thinks is the show of power; or the use of
power. It means that God’s call is one where we may encounter the harsh words
or actions of the community and the world.
Secondly, we are shown that the
cross means strength. While Jesus must and will go through this suffering and
then be nailed to a cross, it is for God’s good reason. It is the reason of a
ransom. We have heard this word before. In television shows we know the ransom
that is to be paid in order for someone to be released. We tend to look at the
ransom as the “price” that is to be paid. However, in this text, the ransom is
the actual freeing. Through Jesus shameful death on the cross we can find
strength in that Jesus’ death on the cross is actually our being released…our
being redeemed so that we do not have to give in to the perceived cultures of
the day. SO that we know that God’s power is in releasing us from the bondage to
sin. It is God’s way of showing us the grace and love of God. It is God’s
showing us that God’s power in this cross (this degrading way of death) and the
flogging, mocking, and killing of Jesus is humbling knowing that it was done
for us; but also strengthening in knowing that God went to this extreme to show
us how loved we really are.
There is strength in knowing that
God will not and does not let this be the end of the story; for in this death
comes the promise of everlasting life. In this action is God’s strength showing
us that death does not have the last word; but that it is God who has the last
word: AMEN!
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